Punjab Kings (PBKS) pulled off a thrilling 16-run victory over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in a low-scoring affair at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur on Tuesday (April 15).
Invited to bat first, PBKS managed to put only 111 runs on the board as Harshit Rana claimed three scalps while Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine bagged two wickets apiece to bundle out the hosts in 15.3 overs.
In reply, the defending champions were comfortably placed at 62/2 in the eighth over, but they suffered a sensational collapse to be bowled out for 95 in 15.1 overs.
Yuzvendra Chahal returned with career-best IPL figures of 4-28, while Marco Jansen picked three scalps to script a thrilling win for the home side. It was the lowest successfully defended total in IPL's history.
After the game, Punjab head coach Ricky Ponting hailed his team's fighting spirit and also joked that he doesn’t want to see more such thrillers.
"The heart rate is still up there. I'm 50 years now and don't need more games like these. Defending 112, with 16 runs up our sleeves. We actually said to the guys at the halfway mark that these really small chases, like these, are sometimes the hardest," Ponting said.
He also spoke about the nature of the pitch, which made run-scoring difficult throughout the game.
"The wicket wasn't easy, as you can see that right through the game, it was definitely holding up," he said.
"But what about Chahal tonight? How good a spell of bowling was that!" he added.
Ponting revealed that Chahal was battling a shoulder injury ahead of the match and had to pass a fitness test before being cleared to play.
"He actually had a fitness test before the game today with his shoulder injury he picked up in the last game, and I grabbed him out of the warm-up and looked him in the eye and said, 'Mate, are you okay?' He said, 'Coach, I am 100 per cent right, let me out there.' Yeah, what a spell of bowling!" the coach stated.
Ricky Ponting felt proud as he watched his team fight back with the ball after their dismal outing with the bat.
"Even if we had lost that game, I couldn't have been prouder of the way we went about the second half. Our batting was poor--the shot selection and execution--that was all poor. But when I saw us take the field and we got the wickets early on, what we had been lacking was a bit of belief with the ball and a bit of energy in the field, and that was there for everyone to see tonight," he added.
Ponting also suggested that this win could be a turning point in Punjab's season. "So, if we had gone down in a really close one, I would have been telling the guys that was actually a season-defining moment--and it might be now as well. To be able to dig deep and win a game like that, I reckon at the halfway mark there weren't too many people around the world that thought that we could have defended it--and we have. Credit to all the boys. They were terrific tonight," he said.
Ponting also reflected on the tactical changes that worked in Punjab’s favour. "The way we changed things up with the ball, with Marco taking the first over and Bartlett taking the second. It would have only been a role for Arshdeep with the brand-new ball, but the match-ups tonight suggested that Jansen and Bartlett are better suited. So, we had to change a little bit there," he noted.
In the end, the Australian legend acknowledged the emotional magnitude of this victory. "Wins like these are always the sweetest ones. And if you can pull this off, then it should be as good a win as most guys have been involved in. I have coached a lot of games in the IPL, and that might just be about the best win I ever had," he said.
This was Punjab Kings’ fourth victory in six matches this season. They are currently occupying the fourth spot on the 10-team points table.
(With ANI Inputs)
